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Collection online

ring / penannular bracelet

Object type

Museum number

1884,0520.3

Description

Gold penannular bracelet and six composite penannular rings. The bracelet is made from a simple gold bar of rounded cross-section. The bar is unevenly curved and has unexpanded plain terminals with slight depression in each end. Four rings plus two interlinked rings run freely along the body of the bracelet. The four rings are made by stacking two short concave sectioned bands of gold, one on top of the other, to produce a ribbed ring. The two interlinked rings are made by stacking three short lengths of circular in section wire.

Curator's comments

The current positioning of the rings on the bracelet may not have reflected their past arrangement as there are two further variations known from drawings (e.g. Eogan 1967, 142, fig 3)

References

Eogan, G. 1967. The Associated finds of Gold Bar Torcs. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 97, 129-175.The bracelet and rings is part of the Stretham hoard found in 1850 during turf cutting, at the depth of 1.5 metres. It is stated that the hoard was found in Granta Fen, Stretham parish, but the find spot may have been Grunty Fen (Eogan 1967, 141).

The bracelet and rings were initially discovered and subsequently a gold bar torc, copper alloy rapier and a quantity of human bones were found. The gold bar torc is now in the Pitt Rivers Museum and the rapier in the British Museum (1884, 0520.2).